responsduur

Responsduur, or response duration, is the time interval between when a request or incident is registered and when a first official response is delivered. The term is used in customer service, IT service management, help desks, and vendor communications to set expectations for timeliness. It should not be confused with resolution time, which concerns the completion of the task or problem.

Measurement of responsduur is typically defined in service level agreements (SLAs) or service level objectives (SLOs). It can refer to the time to acknowledge or assign a ticket, or to provide a substantive reply. Common metrics include the average (mean) responsduur, the median, and percentiles such as the 90th or 95th percentile. Defining whether hours count business hours or 24/7, and whether weekends are included, is important for consistency. The starting point and the endpoint of the measurement must be clearly defined to avoid ambiguity.

Responsduur is used to manage expectations and evaluate performance across channels such as email, chat, and phone. To improve responsduur, organizations employ routing automation, escalation procedures, appropriate staffing, predefined response templates, and self-service options. It complements related metrics like reaction time and resolution time, and it is often embedded in SLAs or operating-level agreements. Challenges include fluctuating demand, holidays, and multi-channel coordination. By tracking responsduur and aligning it with customer expectations, teams can improve service levels and customer satisfaction.